On December 10, Australia is going to enforce a ban that nobody in the world has done before - using social media is going to be prohibited for anyone aged under 16.
As of December 10, Australia is about to set up an online safety historic regulation that will disallow children under the age of 16 to use the leading social media platforms. Globally, digital policy experts single out this intervention as a world-first, and the purpose is to prevent the youngsters from experiencing online harm, cyberbullying, and mental health issues, which are said to be the result of the excessive use of social media.
The new regulation, Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, stipulates that social media services such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, and X should not permit the creation of accounts by minors or accounts belonging to them. The companies if they decide to ignore the rules, may be fined up to as much as A$49.5 million, which is what makes this one of the most severe regulatory frameworks that Big Tech has ever been subjected to.
Per the Australian government, the law changes the obligation that parents had to the tech giants. It will be necessary for platforms to introduce more robust age-verification methods and to show that they have taken "reasonable steps" to prevent that minors access their services. The law is a response to the growing international concerns about the influence of social media on the mental health of teenagers, while various studies have found a correlation between heavy screen time and anxiety, depression, and addictive behavior.
Nonetheless, the prohibition has been a topic of discussion across the whole country. A great number of parents are on the side of the decision, stating that it is a necessary action which aims at children's safety in the online environment. But opposers argue that the total ban may actually cause technologically advanced teens to move to unregulated digital areas or to use dangerous platforms without their knowledge. Some young users have worried about the loss of access to online communities, educational content, and friends over a distance.
Despite the controversy, Australia’s move is expected to influence other countries considering age restrictions for digital platforms. As the new rules take effect, the focus will shift to how effectively tech companies enforce the ban and whether it truly improves youth safety in the long run.